Blue milk. Human ashes. Feral cats.
Disneyland may be 85 acres of carefully curated mirth, but even after nearly 65 years of operation in Anaheim, Calif., the vacation destination can still surprise -- as park-goers who 've encountered the blue milk, human ashes and, yes, feral cats can attest.
Before you next pass through the turnstile en route

As you may know, this Friday, August 9, marks the 50th anniversary of The Haunted Mansion, which opened its doors first in Disneyland. Since this is an all-timer attraction beloved by pretty much everyone, it 's no surprise that there will be plenty of exciting festivities to commemorate the milestone. And that, of course, means brand-new food. Starting Friday, you can

Sadly I wasn 't able to attend the opening weekend of Galaxy 's Edge at Disneyland. However, my good friend Michael Rhaney and his wife Laura are Disneyland locals and annual pass holders, which means they DID snag reservations for the first week of Star Wars: Galaxy 's Edge. I decided to live vicariously through them and ask Michael all about the overall experience, how

Theme park food normally brings to mind wilted hot dogs and sad soft serve cones, but Disney cares far too much about its culinary program to stoop so low at its original park. The perfect 48 hours in the Happiest Place on Earth are filled with much less junk food than you'd anticipate, with generous options for strong cocktails, sit-down dinners that don't disappoint,

The culinary forecast for Disneyland calls for purple rain with a strong chance of purple macarons, cake pops and churros as the Anaheim theme park makes a concerted push to turn #PotionPurple into a trending color on social media.
The Instagram-ready line of new Potion Purple foods launches Friday, Jan. 11, at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure as Disney's

Moving people around a theme park is like one of those slide-tray puzzles. You move from one place to any other space that is clear, in the hope that eventually you will get to wherever you actually wanted to go.
Except that at Disneyland, there's often not that extra, empty space you need to move around the board. It's gridlock.
Disney latest step to address

Back when Disney products were to be watched, not experienced, Walt Disney had a vision: a theme park that felt like stepping into a magical new place. Now, we can finally witness Walt's first dream.
Before construction could start, Walt needed funding. He and his friend Herb Ryman put their heads together and mapped out their dream for the Disneyland that was still

As told by Tina Caviezel to Zoie Matthew
I started February 9, 1992. Normally I worked midnight till eight in the morning, and the first year I was there, I was all over the park. It was cool because you'd walk in and it was empty, pretty much just employees. I'd walk through there and think, "Man, this was Disney's dream, and it's still going on." Then you'd do your

Few people know Disneyland like Jeff Reitz. The 44-year-old Air Force veteran from Huntington Beach, California has visited the park every day since 2012, racking up 2,024 visits so far.
Reitz received his first annual pass as a gift from a friend and started his habit as a fun way to get out of the house while unemployed. He's since purchased his own annual passes,

Between gold-dusted churros, Fruity Pebbles churro ice cream sandwiches, and even lightsaber churros, there's absolutely no shortage of sugary treats at Disney, but the latest churro may be the most appealing one yet. Starting on July 17, s'mores churros will be available from the churro cart in Critter Country at Disneyland Park, and if you're a fan of the chocolate,

It is now easier to get from Frontierland to Fantasyland at Disneyland, or vice-versa.
The theme park on Thursday, June 8, reopened its Big Thunder Trail that connects the two lands to the public, after being closed since early 2016. The trail was shut down so it could be revised, with new rock work, and themed decorations related to Disneyland's construction of the

"Critter Country" was originally called the "Indian Village." Until 1971, that section of Frontierland contained Native American shows and attractions. The following year, it became "Bear Country," the first major expansion since the "Haunted Mansion" and cost $8 million. "Bear Country" was themed like the forest of the Pacific North-West. The centerpiece attraction was

Get the most out of your Disneyland vacation with these insider tricks.
The holiday season truly is magical at Disneyland, bustling with special events, parties, parades, entertainment and elaborate decorations. Plus, Disneyland Resort offers special annual events, from the Festival of Holidays entertainment to the "World of Color -- Season of Light" spectacle at

It's the season for celebrations as Holidays at the Disneyland Resort launches Nov. 10, inviting family and friends to make magical memories together.
This year, guests will have even more to celebrate as they discover the new Festival of Holidays, with music, dance, food and heartwarming holiday festivities inspired by cultural traditions from around the world.

Cranes, lots of them, dominate the skyline above the "Star Wars" land construction zone at Disneyland.
While there is still a lot of dirt visible in the construction zone, more concrete walls and tunnels were taking shape in the new land, including the new route for the Disneyland Railroad.
Meanwhile, over at Disney California Adventure, scaffolding is now

And look, a full day at Disneyland can easily get you 20,000 to 30,000 steps on your Fitbit (my stint yesterday got me 27,000 - about 11 miles with 2,500 calories burned), so honestly, you don't need to worry about it too much, especially if this trip is a once-a-year treat to yourself. But if you really are trying to stay on course (or you have an annual pass!), there

Concrete walls are shaping up at Disneyland for the "Star Wars" land project at Disneyland, as construction crews look to be preparing much of the land for building foundations.
The first walls appear to be around the new channel for the Rivers of America in Frontierland and for the new route for the Disneyland Railroad.
As the summer winds down, many of the

Changes at Disneyland in the 1980s started slow, then ended in a splash down a mountain.
During the first couple years of the decade, Disney Imagineers were busy with the design and building of Epcot Center (as it was called then) at Walt Disney World. But they were also planning a project for Disneyland - rebuilding Fantasyland.
1980-83
In early 1982, most

The Walt Disney Company recently announced that an entirely new land based on the Star Wars universe would be coming to Disneyland, likely in 2019. The 14-acre mini universe will feature two major new rides and other attractions including a restaurant based on the Mos Eisley cantina in the films. I'm not a big Star Wars aficionado, but I hear that the designers working on

Engine room, full speed ahead. The bell clangs and the steam whistle blows as you embark on a journey aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat, one of Disneyland's opening day attractions still around. It will take you on a journey on the Rivers of America in Frontierland, nearly identical to the one visitors to the park encountered in 1955.
As the steam-powered paddle

Disney raised even more questions with the recent announcement of plans to temporarily close the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Disneyland Railroad to allow for construction of Star Wars Land.
Here's what we know so far: The new 14-acre land will feature two attractions set in a remote frontier town on the outer rim of the "Star Wars" galaxy. While no

Oh, boy! The Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration begins today!
Disneyland Park opened in Anaheim, Calif., on July 17, 1955, and ever since, it has entertained millions of guests from all over the world. That's no small feat!
"It's amazing to contemplate all that Disneyland has come to mean to so many people around the world," Tom Staggs, COO of the Walt Disney

Disneyland: home of fantastical fireworks, rip-roaring rides, more souvenirs than you can shake a four-fingered glove at - and, it so happens, some of the best theme park food this side of Arendelle.
Bars and restaurants at the Disneyland Resort have figured out what guests crave, from sweet, buttery pineapple soft serves to boozy green screwdrivers made with five

Disneyland overlords, all about branding and stealth marketing, apparently have an in-house name for the likes of me: "nonfamily guests."
I've been called worse.
It's nothing derisive - derision and mockery, after all, is verboten at "The Happiest Place on Earth" - but I cannot help but feel the term connotes something vaguely sad and pathetic, a sense of

Although It's a Small World was updated in 2009 to include modern Disney songs and movie characters like Ariel, Flounder, Nemo, Woody and Bullseye, the ride has stayed the same and outlasted other attractions that have changed as new technology has rendered them old and clunky.
It's a pastiche of Arab dolls flying on magic carpets, Mexicans wearing sombreros, Peter

We may be older than your average kid, but we still love Disneyland. Kids of all ages do. Even more so now that we get to visit and see the park through the eyes of our 4-year-old daughter, Simone.
There are so many reasons why people come back to the Disney resorts time and time again: the rides, the characters, the amazing parades, the fireworks show. When we were

Disneyland may be where all childhood dreams come true, but Disneyland is also quickly becoming a foodie mecca as well. With a wide array of culinary pleasures to choose between, from carts to fine dining, here are our picks for best Disneyland eats.
On The Go
For a quick bite on the go without the muss and fuss of sitting to eat because you've got places to

I learned something today.
My comparison article for January 2013 was always going to be about the Rivers of America in Anaheim's Disneyland Park, and its counterpart in Disneyland Paris.
However, until perhaps five minutes ago, I had assumed that the Paris equivalent was also called Rivers of America. Turns out, it's the Rivers of the Far West.
Whilst it

Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closing Jan. 7 to get new tracks, vehicles and paint.
It will be the third major overhaul of a major Disneyland ride in as many years.
The railroad in the Frontierland section of the Anaheim park has been operating since 1979 and portrays a runaway train that speeds through a barren Old West landscape.
The

Looking back at the articles I have written comparing the two Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris) I realize that the only Land in the Paris version of Disneyland Park which I haven't covered in any detail yet is Frontierland. [The only elements of this Land I have looked at, to date, are Tom Sawyer Island and the Railroad].
With regards to Anaheim,

Did you know that the trees and flowers planted throughout Disneyland were as well thought out as the design of the attractions and lands themselves?
I didn't.
In scurrying from one attraction to the other, I must admit that I never paid much attention to the foliage until I took Disneyland's two-hour "Cultivating the Magic" tour during which the guide talked

This month, I shall be comparing the Adventurelands found in the two Disneyland parks closest to my heart (California and Paris).
Standing in front of the castle, with your back to Main Street, U.S.A./World Bazaar, the first land you encounter clockwise in four of the five Magic Kingdoms is Adventureland. Internet rumors abound that in Shanghai, Adventureland will

Disneyland is set to shut down Critter Country for more than a month starting Wednesday.
Crews already began refurbishing Splash Mountain and Hungry Bear Restaurant, two major features in the land in the northwest corner of the park, earlier this month.
Disney decided to close the rest of Critter Country while work is ongoing, said Suzi Brown, a Disneyland

Disneyland is set Tuesday to close Splash Mountain for about four months during a major rehabilitation project, according to the Disneyland website.
Disney usually refurbishes big rides about once every five to 10 years. Splash Mountain is next on the calendar, said John McClintock, a Disneyland Resort spokesman, earlier this month.
Crews plans to spruce up the

There is nothing like a summer vacation to the happiest place on earth. Sometimes, however, the happiest place on earth can seem like the most miserable place on earth if you are overheated and dehydrated. So what do you do when your vacation at Disneyland is threatened with ruination by sweltering, bone melting heat? You find a way to stay cool, of course, and here

Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California is a special place adults and children can enjoy together. It is a place where all worries and cares can be forgotten and adults can be kids again.
Disneyland's has a lot of amazing rides for adults. Actually all of the rides at Disneyland are geared for all members of the family but there are a few that stand out more than

Disneyland is a magical place where kids and adults can go and have fun together. Disneyland is also an expensive place with some very expensive places to eat. However, there are a lot of places in Disneyland to eat that are really not much more expensive than eating at fast food joints. All of the food is delicious and filling. Sometimes if a person is not real hungry a

Disneyland The Happiest Place on Earth turns 55 this summer. Clearly, Walt Disney's dream of creating a family park where parents and children could have fun together is here to stay.
But that's not to say Disneyland hasn't seen its share of changes in 5½ decades. Indeed, one of the biggest overhauls in the Anaheim, Calif., resort's history is currently under way

If you are planning a trip to Disneyland then working out how to get there will no doubt be on your to-do list. It also helps to have plans for your time inside the Disneyland resort as it covers a large area of ground.
Regardless of where you are travelling from, either within the United States or from further afield, you will be able to navigate your way to

Disneyland Resort is a wonderful place to spend your vacation. A safe place where you and your family can play on all the attractions, spend quality time together, and even stop by to meet a few characters.
Disneyland has a wonderful set up when it comes to meeting the Characters. Not only can you meet them around the park, there are designated areas that the

It's been over 30 years since I took my six year old son to Disneyland in Anaheim, California and over 20 years since my last visit. So, when I began thinking about how fun it would be to take my granddaughter there, I had some catching up to do.
For starters, the Disneyland® Resort is now two theme parks in one, Disneyland Park® and Disneyland's California

David Bishop is oblivious to the eight live reindeer prancing in the Big Thunder Ranch corral.
Bishop, a lifelong Fullerton, Calif. resident, and his crew worked from 2-7 a.m. Nov. 10 plugging hundreds of red poinsettias and cyclamen into the Frontierland gardens for the 8 a.m. opening of Disneyland's holiday season.
"We had to wait until workers strung all the

A recent four-night stay at Disneyland proves that this rich, glorious theme park, celebrating its 50th anniversary from now until 2007, is best enjoyed as a planned excursion, not as a whim.
Begin with Birnbaum's, an indispensable annual paperback that's available for around twelve dollars. The goal-oriented guide should be read by every visitor to insure unit

515 million: Number of guests the park has welcomed since it opened.
26 million: Hand towels used in Disneyland's restrooms during the year.
13.3 million: Guests welcomed last year, making it the second-most-visited theme park in the country. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., was No. 1, with 15.1 million.
4 million: Hamburgers sold at the

Here's the deal with Disneyland. The two women ahead of me in line were Elizabeth and Lexi, twins fromWinnetka, Ill. Elizabeth is a communications and political science major at the University of Southern California. Lexi is a philosophy major atYale.
They knew the words to ''We Can Fly,'' a song from Walt Disney's ''PeterPan.'' It's the song the chorus sings when

I came, I saw, I was conquered as a child. I came back as a parent, following the impulse of many eager-beaver new parents to anoint my offspring in the reflected glory of Disneyland's glow.
The pilgrimage to the Magic Kingdom is a California rite of passage, whether the children are ready or not -- and they usually aren't. But really, how many of you couldn't wait

The Disney empire has struggled recently with attacks on CEO Michael Eisner, an unsolicited takeover bid, sour ratings at ABC and complaints that the theme parks are falling into disrepair. But none of that matters to my children or to me when we step into the Magic Kingdom. Indeed, all reality is suspended during those few days we visit Anaheim's Disneyland Resort each

The First Hint that my mission will be daunting: I tell the cast member in Guest Relations the title of the article I'm researching, and she starts to giggle. Disneyland in a day? Who am I kidding? "It might be a little hard," she says, handing me my tickets, "to do it all in a day."
Disneyland has its own special feel, and nostalgia is only part of it. Yes, it's

The Country Bear Jamboree, a 17-minute show made up of more than 20 audio-animatronic bears, originally opened as an "E" ticket ride in Walt Disney World Florida, as one of the premier attractions for the park's opening in 1971. Just one short year later, it opened here in our very own Anaheim Disneyland, in Bear Country to be exact, on March 24, 1972. It's been there

Enjoy a Mickey Mouse flapjack for breakfast, then hit Splash Mountain early. Eat lunch at the Big Thunder Ranch. Top off your day at Disneyland by watching fireworks from a little know vantage point. Those are some of the tips we picked up after visiting Disneyland five times last season. We learned how to tackle the park during its busiest time-summer. We discovered how